Lyttleton Port, New Zealand. Car Shipping Services to Christchurch

Lyttleton, Christchurch port information.

Autoshippers operate fast and frequent container car shipping
services direct from the UK to Lyttleton. We also offer regular
Roll on Roll off (RoRo) car shipping to the port of Lyttleton.

You can find out more information about Lyttleton port below or
if your are arranging to
ship your car to New Zealand via
Christchurch please do not hesitate to call us or post your Car
Shipping enquiry online here. Our New Zealand agents can also
arrange export shipping FROM Lyttleton.

Lyttleton Port (New Zealand)

Lyttleton is a port
town and regarded as a heritage rich area in New Zealand. It
is located on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
The port itself is a hub of trade and a vital cog in the global
transport network. It prides
itself in offering a diverse range of trades and shipping
services to importers and exporters. The port is the major trade
gateway to the South Island.

History

The earliest history
for Lyttleton dates back to when some moa bones were
discovered from the year 1250. The Maori were a tribe of people
living there before Lt James Cook discovered the land in 1770. In August 1849, Lyttleton began being used as port. It became
established as a land point for seafarers visiting the area of
Christchurch and it soon came to be regarded as the "Gateway to
Canterbury." In 1877, Lyttleton port became the main port of Canterbury
and Christchurch and was officially opened by the Lyttleton Port
Company. They also introduced the Port Companies Act in 1988.

In the 1970s the port was chosen as one of South Islands main
ports, and as such it was dredged and upgraded to allow for
containerisation.

Facilities

Cruise ships regularly visit Lyttleton port. It also handles 34%
of New Zealand's exports, and 61% of imports. It employs
around 450 staff and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The port is a primary port for energy shipments from the
South Island of New Zealand. For the past 100 years, large
quantities of South Island coal has been shipped from Lyttleton
port and for the past 50 years it has provided natural gas and
petrol. The coal facility is the largest in New Zealand.

Thanks to improved efficiencies, the business activity in the
port has grown by 114% in the last decade and the good news is continued
growth is predicted for the future.

Facts of Interest

• In 2009, Lyttleton was listed as a
Historic Area on the Historic Places Trust register and
defined as "an area of special or outstanding historical or
cultural heritage significance or value."

• Lyttleton has been subject to some
earthquake damage to its historic buildings over the years.
The famous
Lyttleton Timeball Station which advised mariners of the
time on arrival of their ships at Lyttleton port was
unfortunately destroyed by the most recent earthquake. Work
is underway to restore it to its former glory.